Runaway Bride Was Just A Movie
by J. L. Collins
Summary: One-shot of the day of the wedding- Rosalie has a few words for Bella about marrying her brother. Bella looks back on her time with her best friend and wonders about that chance. Can she still give it all to someone? Can she run? angsty-fluff. T for lang.


"If I knew it wouldn't shatter your little bones to a million different pieces, I'd slap the hell out of you right now."

Bella winced at these words, craning her neck to get a peek at the reflection of the beautiful woman in the mirror behind her. Rosalie was leaning her shoulder into the doorway with her elegantly-gloved arms crossed, her eyes looking so many different ways. She looked pitying of her, scared for her, understanding by her, but most of all she looked furious with her. It was a look that she was very intimidated by, to say the least.

Her beautiful soon-to-be sister was shaking her head as she looked back at her, standing there with half of her back exposed, fighting to pull up her dress. It was all snow-white, simple with lace and many buttons up the back. Bella pretended that she was struggling with the bodice and not that she was just standing there for the past five minutes wondering how it would look if she were to come down the stairs in an old pair of jeans & a long-sleeved t-shirt. She pretended that she didn't know what Rosalie was talking about. She must be angry at Bella for almost ripping this delicate dress that Rosalie had helped Alice pick up for her from that designer's boutique catalogue. That must be it.

Except she knew it wasn't, watching the way Rosalie's face immediately saddened when she made her way towards her.

The night before, they somehow got to talking about Rose's past again. Her voice was angry, once again showing how she truly hated being immortal, still. Rose finally lightened up a bit, after getting all of that off of her chest. They had flitted from one subject to the next, something Bella never thought would happen. She never thought they would be having a regular conversation- as regular as it gets when speaking with a vampire. At some point, Bella asked her a question that led the flood-gates open.

_If you had it all to do again, you really wouldn't choose to become a vampire? With all that power and time on your hands?_

_No, I never would've wanted this, not in my real world. Of course, this is my real world now. But I've always wondered what my life would've been like had I stayed human...There was a young man that I saw every day at my father's bank. He was kind, even to me. I'm surprised I even remember this but he told me I was beautiful once. All I could think was, yes of course I was! _

_My vanity was shameless, which I'm sure you have seen, since being with Edward. It can get a little outrageous when I don't pay attention to it. Any how, he made me smile that day. I heard that phrase from Royce many times, but coming from him...it was as though his words made him beautiful. I've wondered here and there, what that would've been like if I gave him a chance. But that was just me. Your circumstances are quite different, I believe. _

_You really don't have much holding you down to the human-world, outside of your father and mother, do you?_

_ I guess not much_, Bella said. But the more she thought about it, the more she closed her eyes and imagined the chance that she could still give. The chance...it was her choice. It was black and white when she looked at it like this. It was either this path she was now on, or the path that led her back to home. Her heart warmed instantly when she thought this. But was warmth like this over-rated?

_But what if...what if I did? What would you think then, Rose?_

Rosalie's eyes narrowed at Bella as she tilted her head. Bella averted her gaze, to look out the window, seeing the naked moon hang low in the sky.

_I would think, Bella, that you should really re-consider everything that has happened to you since you met Edward. And I also think that I can't make any judgments until you explain what you mean..._

Bella broke down to her and unbelieveably, Rosalie was there for her, holding her together, nodding and patting her knee. She confessed every single thought and image of her Jacob that she could to her, before falling asleep slick-faced and frizzy-haired. It was certainly a good thing that everyone else was out hunting except for Rosalie and Emmett who had volunteered to stay and keep watch of the human.

Rosalie stood behind her, helping her wrench up the bodice in the back. Bella sighed, waiting for what felt a lifetime before she said anything.

"Are your really going to do this, Bella?" she asked, already done with the dress. "You could just go....you could run. I'd cover for you, I'd lie and say you....huh...you could do anything you wanted. Please Bella, don't trap yourself down because you think love extends through your life. Becauseitdoesn't and Bella I swear you couldjustgo and live. And...be," Rosalie grabbed her shoulders harshly, causing her to wince again. Her unexpected reaction and trembled words caused Bella to listen to her words, hard. She looked at their reflections in the mirror, Bella in her white wedding dress, Rose in her low-cut deep plum-colored dress. They looked nothing alike, except for the stark white of Rosalie's skin and the pale wash with pink hints of Bella's. And their eyes. They shared the same expression in their eyes; the look of someone seeing their life going differently. The one of hurt and regret. Where Bella had a choice and Rosalie didn't. It was a haunting thing to see.

Bella suddenly got the image in her head of Jacob...telling her they could run off together...just run and be together where none of this supernatural ridiculous fantasy would follow...because if anything, in their kindred spirits- they were both realistic. If any two people were most unbelievable in this sci-fi nightmare, it was her and Jacob. They belonged in the real world, soulmates if she believed in them. They would both have souls...and they surely would share their souls with each other.

"I hope that you're not angry with me, but I....I want you to see something," Rosalie murmured, before turning around and opening the door to the room that she had shut a few minutes earlier.

Standing there, behind the door, was the person that all her thoughts were consumed by. And not ashamed anymore, she admitted it wasn't her fiance.

He was here.

_He's here. With me. Now._

Rosalie gave a quick nod, her nose slightly wrinkled in disgust, before vanishing from the doorway.

Jacob's eyes spoke before he did. They took in her and her ugly, too-tight can'tbreathesuffocating dress. She wanted him to close his eyes so he couldn't see her. So he couldn't see this downright _lie_ that made his eyes watery and red. He should never have to see her lie. It was too painful for him and it was too painful for her to do. But he spoke any way.

"Bells. Honey, you look, you look so...." he mumbled just loud enough for her to hear.

"Beautiful," he finished.

"Tragic," she said at the same time. Both their expressions changed instantly.

She wanted to do thousands of things all at once, but felt couldn't move an inch. Even so, she wasn't pinned down any more......Jacob had just freed her from all of her scared thoughts.

He wanted to be able to know what she was thinking right this second. He wanted to see why she chose such a sad word, when observing herself on her wedding day.

"What d'you-"

"Run. Let's-" they both interrupted each others' thoughts at the same time again. She giggled as he chuckled, his smile slowly fading into a curious look. He turned behind him to shut the door. They were really alone, this time.

"Let me go first, okay?" He said, taking her hand and motioning for her to come sit next to him on the chaise lounge by the large vanity. She nodded, a small smile breaking across her face when she saw him searching her face for a second before he began. He took a deep breath.

"I don't want to hurt you. And I also don't know why the hell I'm here on your wedding day, with you, alone in a room. While you're all-" he motioned up in down in front of her dress.

"It's a little sick, to be honest with you. I'm crazy for you Bells, you know this. But I don't want to be that guy, who is always pining after someone who isn't even his. I mean, me and you? We were always natural. This?-" he grabbed her hand and put it against his bare chest, right over his heart. "This has always been natural. We would've been the easy way. If none of this crazy....bullshit- sorry Bella, but it is-" he stopped when she opened her mouth to agree, and she shut it smiling and nodding.

"If none of it would've ever happened, d'you know where we'd be right now? We'd be either in my garage, eating some spaghetti that you made because you're an awesome cook, or we'd be in my garage eating some spaghetti-os, because hell, we know I can't cook. We'd be trying to figure out ways for me to sneak into your room at night to say 'hi', while you're at some college somewhere. I'd be driving us in my car...to somewhere far away. Maybe to visit your Mom, because I want to see if you really do look like her.

We'd be taking a lot of pictures because we never did before. And I'd like to see what we look like together, standing up against a car, or in front of the Grand Canyon, or fucking Times Square, I don't know! But you see, it wouldn't matter...because we'd be together. Somewhere. It wouldn't have mattered where, Bells. I would've found a way to breathe for us underwater, if suddenly you wanted to be a damn mermaid. I'd make us some fucking fins. And I dunno Bells I just-"

He ran out of breath, and she thought that all the words that came out of his mouth just now, they were more real and romantic than anything she'd ever heard. From _anyone_. He stopped and stared at her, like he was staring into the sun. She dipped her head down, then looked up at him, biting her lip and hoping the right words would come out the right way.

"Run." she said. He looked at her as though she had slapped him.

"No Jake, I mean....don't go. I mean...do go, just...with me. I need to run. I need, no!... I _want_ to get the _hell_ out of here and I want all of that. I want...I want to go crazy and just be. With you. And you and me, it'll work itself out. I think I'd like to take the chance...and maybe..." she whispered, trailing off. She was somehow leaning her forehead against his, feeling her sweat breaking out from underneath her neatly curled and pinned hair.

"You're not, doing this? You don't want to marry...him?" he asked, confused and slightly hopeful.

"No Jake, you know that's not my style," her eyes crinkled when she grinned at him. It was just so easy. It was so easy to make him happy.

"Your style? Ha, you have a style now?" he teased, listening to her laugh come out in delirium. He watched as the exposed skin at her collarbone moved with every sound she made. She shrugged her shoulders, nudging him with one. His skin caught on fire. She turned herself so that she was directly in front of him, facing away. Leaning back against his chest, she sighed softly, taking in the smell of his sweat from running...and all the wonderful scent that was Jacob. Her Jacob.

He leaned back too, relishing the feel of having Bella practically on him. He had come here to tell her congrats and all that fake chivalrous stuff that wasn't Jacob. And now she was up against him, skin on skin, and it wasn't wrong and it wasn't weird. It was just...good.

"This is going to sound weird, but I would really appreciate it if you could help me out of this damn thing," she muttered, wanting to rip this cage right off of herself. She turned to stand back up, relief starting to wash over her as she reached back and undid the top clasp. She was in other garments of clothing underneath, but Jacob didn't know that.

She blushed deeply, when she saw his eyes widen and look her up and down in _that_ look, questioning her very sanity. She giggled, shaking her head vigorously.

"Uh, Jake? I have stuff on underneath this stupid dress. But it's just so...confining," she whined. He stood up and immediately started popping open the intricate buttons on the back of her dress. She felt her rip cage expand, and she felt like she could almost fly away, but then she felt another thing. She felt his hot fingers tracing up and down her shoulderblades, his thumbs rubbing the outer part of her spine. I still have one? she thought as he turned them towards the mirror. She gasped at what she saw looking back at her.

The most beautiful boy/man she'd ever seen. The real one. The one that was meant for her, in the real world. His russet-brown skin, so close, soclose to her, his hair, shaggy black ink. His lips, his deep red lips, placing a kiss on her bare shoulder. Her dress came down, revealing the thin slip and garter she was wearing. Looking back at her reflection, she saw her whole face turn red. Well, yes there is something underneath the dress, but as thin and white as it is, it might as well be nothing.

His eyes slightly widened, but gave nothing away. She turned back to him and asked him to close his eyes, out of modesty. He did as he was told and minutes later, he opened them to see Bella standing in front of the mirror, in a long-sleeve t-shirt and jeans. He went up behind her again, this time, pulling her to turn around towards him.

"What now?" he asked, taking her hand and rubbing his thumb across it.

"I've got a friend on my side out there. She'll take care of it.," she smiled, before walking out the door.

It was only minutes later that she slipped out the back, with Rosalie's help. She bid her goodbye, and watched as Rose smiled deeply at her. A beautiful sight to be seen.

In another few hours, they were at a gas station right outside of California. It was already ten degrees warmer here than it was in Forks, Washington.

Her feet hung out the window of the Rabbit, while she bit into an apple. She looked down at it, and realized she didn't want the apple afterall. Instead, she bit into the hamburger Jacob managed to steal from Emily's before he met her earlier. He was inside the store, grabbing a few things before their long trip to Florida to see Renee.

He came back out with a can of something that read 'Car Paint'. He laughed at her quizzical look. Jacob motioned for her to follow him to the back of the car. Curious, she did, smirking at what he was doing. They hopped back into the car, listening to nothing but their own chuckles and hysterics, as they drove down the road.

On the windshield? 'NOT MARRIED' written in pink, with little weird-shaped hearts around it. Not the kind with little painful arrows through them, though. These were mis-shaped, but they were whole and _beautiful_.


End file.
